News broke out on August 29th that, after the members of INFINITE’s contracts had expired in late July, member Hoya would not be renewing his contract with the popular boy group or Woolim Entertainment. After making the announcement, Hoya was the first to come forward and respond to fans about the news and his decision. The singer left a long, heartfelt message on his personal Instagram account on August 30th.
“Hello, this is Hoya. Firstly, I’d like to apologize for causing worry to so many people with the sudden news. I also want to apologize to the fans who are probably tired from waiting so long. In my heart, I wanted to let you know first, but I thought the official statement should come before. I ask for your understanding for not being able to let you know for a long time. I thought a lot about what I can say to share my thoughts.” The letter continued saying, “First of all, to my INFINITE members… Sungkyu , Dongwoo , Woohyun , Sungyeol , Myungsoo ( L ), and Sungjong . I want to tell them I’m sorry and thank you once again through this letter. I know very well that the reason I was able to receive such great love from INSPIRIT was that I was with INFINITE. I won’t forget that in the future. I’ll hold onto the precious heart that INSPIRIT gave to me with their sincere love. Thank you, and I’m sorry.”

“I also wanted to say once again in this letter that I sincerely thank Lee Joong Yup and the Woollim family for supporting me to grow from nothing to where I am now. From now on, I’ll live with a humble mindset and work hard. I apologize for worrying so many people. Thank you for reading this long letter.” After reading the sad and emotional letter, fans continued to speculate the cause of his departure. A past interview regarding Hoya’s health had become a hot topic when he had revealed, “I went in and out of the emergency room often when I was a child because of my very weak bronchus… Before I debuted, I went to the doctor to have my bronchus checked, and they advised that singing would be difficult. The doctor suggested the possibility of giving up on a career as a singer.” With that advice in mind, fans feel that the idol will not pursue a more prominent career in acting since he already has experience after starring in hits such as ‘Reply 1994,’ ‘Glowing Office, ‘Mask,’ and more! How do you feel about Hoya’s letter and departure? Stay tuned for more official updates.